To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed the entire object, paste this HTML in websiteTo link to this page, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed this page, paste this HTML in website

::
________
\ SC 978.6292 FERGUS
COUNTY 1.13
ROCKY POINT WILDERS LANDING MISSOURI RIVER PORT
C. A. Broadwater, Helena merchant, financier,
entrepeneur, was one of the businessmen involved in the
CARROLL TRAIL 1872/74. During it's short existance,
Broadwater made a trip by horseback from Carroll up river to
Fort Benton and overland to Helena.
He knew that Rocky Point, two bottoms above Carroll had
an existing ferry, a good solid crossing with north and
south travel as well as it was an early woodhawk location.
He seized the opportunity to move up to Rocky Point where he
built a 2 story, 40' X 90' trading post and was awarded a
Government contract through his business associate and dear
friend, Amhert Wilder of St. Paul, Minnesota. He asked for
Cantonment Rocky Point which consisted for 19 infantry men
to guard the government freight shipments destined for Fort
Maginnis in 1881 as well as mill machinery for the new gold
mines at Maiden. Gold had also been discovered in the
Little Rockies and some shipments went to the north, which
made this a busy river port.
The Military Telegraph line from Fort Buford ND via
Camp Poplar, Ft. Galpin (near Ft Peck), Hawley, Wilders
Landing to Fort Maginnis was completed in 1882 and an office
at Rocky Point opened. This line was built by soldiers in
three sections.
During the steamboat era from 1860 many of the larger
boats unloaded here during low-water periods and their cargo
freighted overland or picked up by smaller boats. Some was
left for the next high-water season.
The Wilder Postoffice began at this location in 1886,
according to the Postal Archives from Washington DC which
gives a listing of all postmasters who served. It ran
continuously from this date until 1939 when it was
discontinued due to the purchase by the Corps of Engineers
of the river lands for the construction of Fort Peck Darn.
The road to Fort Maginnis was a distance of about fifty
miles as it climbed the river hill and met the Carroll
Trail, continuing in a westerly direction where it crossed
Box Elder Creek and turned southerly through Ross Pass,
corning out on the south side of the Judith Mountains at Fort
Maginnis.
According to the picture of the Wilder ferry from the
Historical Society at Helena, Louis Goslin carne to Zortman
in 1904 and soon had three stage coaches corning from Malta
over this route. One traveled from Fort Maginnis to Flat­willow
and to the railroad at Custer (Junction City) on the
Yellowstone River. The larger coaches carried 12 passengers
and the smaller one accomodated eight people. One is on
display at Billings, and one at Great Falls. The smaller
one is at Malta. Ruel Horner, driver for the Goslin Stages
is pictured on the Wilder ferry.
Fort Maginnis and Fort Assinaboine (near Havre) were
the last two forts built in Montana. Freight brought on the

ROCKY POINT WILDERS LANDING MISSOURI RIVER PORT
By Marie Webb Zahn
C. A. Broadwater, Helena merchant, financier, entrepreneur, was one of the businessmen involved in the CARROLL TRAIL 1872/74. During its short existence, Broadwater made a trip by horseback from Carroll up river to Fort Benton and overland to Helena.
He knew that Rocky Point, two bottoms above Carroll had an existing ferry, a good solid crossing with north and south travel as well as it was an early woodhawk location. He seized the opportunity to move up to Rocky Point where he built a 2 story, 40' X 90' trading post and was awarded a Government contract through his business associate and dear friend, Amhert Wilder of St. Paul, Minnesota. He asked for Cantonment Rocky Point which consisted for 19 infantry men to guard the government freight shipments destined for Fort Maginnis in 1881 as well as mill machinery for the new gold mines at Maiden. Gold had also been discovered in the Little Rockies and some shipments went to the north, which made this a busy river port.
The Military Telegraph line from Fort Buford ND via Camp Poplar, Ft. Galpin (near Ft Peck), Hawley, Wilders Landing to Fort Maginnis was completed in 1882 and an office at Rocky Point opened. This line was built by soldiers in three sections. During the steamboat era from 1860 many of the larger boats unloaded here during low-water periods and their cargo freighted overland or picked up by smaller boats. Some was left for the next high-water season.
The Wilder Postoffice began at this location in 1886, according to the Postal Archives from Washington DC which gives a listing of all postmasters who served. It ran continuously from this date until 1939 when it was discontinued due to the purchase by the Corps of Engineers of the river lands for the construction of Fort Peck Dam.
The road to Fort Maginnis was a distance of about fifty miles as it climbed the river hill and met the Carroll Trail, continuing in a westerly direction where it crossed Box Elder Creek and turned southerly through Ross Pass, coming out on the south side of the Judith Mountains at Fort Maginnis.
According to the picture of the Wilder ferry from the Historical Society at Helena, Louis Goslin came to Zortman in 1904 and soon had three stage coaches coming from Malta over this route. One traveled from Fort Maginnis to Flatwillow and to the railroad at Custer (Junction City) on the Yellowstone River. The larger coaches carried 12 passengers and the smaller one accommodated eight people. One is on display at Billings, and one at Great Falls. The smaller one is at Malta. Ruel Horner, driver for the Goslin Stages is pictured on the Wilder ferry.
Fort Maginnis and Fort Assinaboine (near Havre) were the last two forts built in Montana. Freight brought on the boats was transported overland directions, north and south, by freight wagons pulled by horses, mules or oxen. Usually two wagons in tow with a caboose hitched to the rear. Originally this was Choteau County. In 1889, when Montana became a state, Philander Freeze was postmaster at Wilder. All of Choteau County south of the Missouri River was traded off to Fergus County for $2,500.00 and Wilder became part of Fergus County.
At the end of the century, Rocky Point remained a river crossing with a ferry, an operating store and post office to serve the area. Tex Alford ran a saloon on the north side of the River. Elmer W, Turner took over the store and post office in 1907 from Margaret Frost. He bought the ferry from Jimmy Tyler, homesteaded the lower bottom and lived there until 1935 when the river lands were purchased by the Corps of Engineers for Fort Peck dam.
In 1918 the Wilder Post office was moved on top of the river hill to the homestead of Luella M. Belyea and she operated it for two years. Mr. Turner maintained the ferry until the fall of 1929 when he used the lumber in the construction of his new shop. (this building still stands) Prior to this time, mail came from the north side via the Great Northern Railroad on the High Line. With the new railroad of the Milwaukee Line reaching Roy in 1914 a mail route was established to Wilder and shortened to
Mrs. Belyea's residence.
As soon as she made proof on her homestead she left and Elma M. Webb was named postmaster and moved to her home, which was one half mile to the west. Mail was delivered on Monday, returned to Roy on Tuesday and again it came on Friday and returned to Roy on Saturday. The mail carrier stayed over at Wilder each trip. This was during Elma Webb's tenure from 1920 to December of 1935. The original handmade boxes, counter and shelves were from the Wilder unit on the river as she also continued to run a country store along with the post office. Wilder was voting precinct #30 and served as a polling place from its origin on the river until 1942 when the last election was held at the Little Crooked School with John Mauland, Edith McNulty and Ray McNulty as judges.
Upon the death of Elma Webb's husband in Oct. 1935, she leased her place to Elna Brumfield Wright, who put her brother-in-law, Stanley Wright in charge June 4 1936. Bertine Mathison leased the Webb place to become the last postmaster. Fire destroyed the house and the post office was discontinued 30 November 1939. Wilder's Ferry, Missouri River at Rocky Point, Montana Photo courtesy of the Montana Historical Society, Helena MT
Louis Goslin, Zortman, came to the area around 1904. He soon had three stage lines in operation; one to Malta, one to Lewistown and Harlowton and one to Billings. The larger coaches carried twelve passengers. One is on display at Great Falls and one at Billings. The smaller coach accommodated eight persons comfortably and is on display at Malta. Ruel Horner, driver for Goslin Stage Coaches, is pictured on the Wilder Ferry.
FORT MAGGINNIS TO CUSTER STAGE
On July 1 1883, a stage running from Fort Maginnis to Custer began. It ran twice a week and made the 120-mile run in 36 hours. The stage went from Fort Maginnis southeast to Coders stage station on Fords Creek, then to Chamberlain on McDonald Creek. It proceeded to the Foreman's Ranch on Elk Creek, then across Yellow Water Creek to Flatwillow Creek. The stage had a six hour layover at Flatwillow, and then went to Musselshell and Junction City (Custer), where it connected with the Northern Pacific Railroad on the Yellowstone River. The stage carried mail and passengers.

::
________
\ SC 978.6292 FERGUS
COUNTY 1.13
ROCKY POINT WILDERS LANDING MISSOURI RIVER PORT
C. A. Broadwater, Helena merchant, financier,
entrepeneur, was one of the businessmen involved in the
CARROLL TRAIL 1872/74. During it's short existance,
Broadwater made a trip by horseback from Carroll up river to
Fort Benton and overland to Helena.
He knew that Rocky Point, two bottoms above Carroll had
an existing ferry, a good solid crossing with north and
south travel as well as it was an early woodhawk location.
He seized the opportunity to move up to Rocky Point where he
built a 2 story, 40' X 90' trading post and was awarded a
Government contract through his business associate and dear
friend, Amhert Wilder of St. Paul, Minnesota. He asked for
Cantonment Rocky Point which consisted for 19 infantry men
to guard the government freight shipments destined for Fort
Maginnis in 1881 as well as mill machinery for the new gold
mines at Maiden. Gold had also been discovered in the
Little Rockies and some shipments went to the north, which
made this a busy river port.
The Military Telegraph line from Fort Buford ND via
Camp Poplar, Ft. Galpin (near Ft Peck), Hawley, Wilders
Landing to Fort Maginnis was completed in 1882 and an office
at Rocky Point opened. This line was built by soldiers in
three sections.
During the steamboat era from 1860 many of the larger
boats unloaded here during low-water periods and their cargo
freighted overland or picked up by smaller boats. Some was
left for the next high-water season.
The Wilder Postoffice began at this location in 1886,
according to the Postal Archives from Washington DC which
gives a listing of all postmasters who served. It ran
continuously from this date until 1939 when it was
discontinued due to the purchase by the Corps of Engineers
of the river lands for the construction of Fort Peck Darn.
The road to Fort Maginnis was a distance of about fifty
miles as it climbed the river hill and met the Carroll
Trail, continuing in a westerly direction where it crossed
Box Elder Creek and turned southerly through Ross Pass,
corning out on the south side of the Judith Mountains at Fort
Maginnis.
According to the picture of the Wilder ferry from the
Historical Society at Helena, Louis Goslin carne to Zortman
in 1904 and soon had three stage coaches corning from Malta
over this route. One traveled from Fort Maginnis to Flat­willow
and to the railroad at Custer (Junction City) on the
Yellowstone River. The larger coaches carried 12 passengers
and the smaller one accomodated eight people. One is on
display at Billings, and one at Great Falls. The smaller
one is at Malta. Ruel Horner, driver for the Goslin Stages
is pictured on the Wilder ferry.
Fort Maginnis and Fort Assinaboine (near Havre) were
the last two forts built in Montana. Freight brought on the